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At a Crossroads

“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart….live the question.”

– Ranier Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

I’m baaaaaack 🙂 It’s been way too long since I last talked to you guys.

I’ve been feeling reflective lately, as I usually do at the end of the year, and upcoming events have inspired me to share. Here’s the big news: The thing that has been stressing me out for nearly 2 years is finally coming to an end. I’m graduating! This semester is almost over, and in 2 weeks, I’ll be burning all my textbooks putting on my cap and gown and saying ✌ to my grad program.

If you haven’t read my About Me page, let me fill you in. Since January of 2015, I’ve been working toward a Master of Public Administration degree. I took three years off after college, but last year I decided it was time for me to get back at it. Getting a Master’s degree is something I’ve always wanted to accomplish and I can hardly believe I’m almost done.

So what have I been up to since June?

Well, at the time of my last blog post, I was in Washington, D.C. for the summer. I had temporarily relocated to the capital to experience a federal agency first-hand. From May until August, I interned at Peace Corps HQ in the Office of Strategic Partnerships. It was truly an incredible experience, living and learning in the hub of public administration. With any luck, I’ll be moving back there, permanently!

After D.C., I returned to my hometown to spend my birthday week with friends and family. On August 13, I celebrated 27 years of life, by driving to Chattanooga, Tennessee to visit Ruby Falls. To get to the Falls, you have to walk through a narrow underground cave that’s 1120 ft (≈341 m) below the surface. Pretty frickin’ cool. For pictures of the cave and waterfall, check out my Tumblr page.

Lastly, I got some much needed R&R in October when I took a mini break from school to visit family in Ohio.

Downtown Cleveland

Now you’re all caught up.

What’s ahead is largely uncertain, but here’s what I’m sure of: For starters, I’m leaving Miami. It’s been a great 3 years in the Magic City, but I’m ready for a change. So at the end of this year / early 2017, I will be moving back to Atlanta. I’m not sure if I’ll be staying for good, but I can’t think of a better city to be in while I figure everything out.

Secondly, travel is still on the agenda. I feel like I’ve come full circle, because the day after graduation, I’ll be returning to where this blog got started–Costa Rica! I plan to shake off the stress of final exams in Pura Vida land for 9 days. I’m so excited to be going back to the country that holds a special place in my heart, to see the people that I’ve missed.

I’m both nervous and excited with all that stands to change post-graduation, but I’m trying to take my own advice and Embrace the Unknown. Hopefully I’ll have happy news to share soon!

It feels good to talk to you fellow travelers again. Let me know what you’ve been up to in the comments 🙂

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Published by Tola

Hi, I'm Tola. A blogger and student based in Miami, FL. Here, on Tola the Traveler, you will find all my travel and adventure stories, as well as tips and advice on related things. I enjoy interacting with my readers, so please leave a comment and I'll definitely respond. Also, if you have your own blog, leave a link, and I'll be sure to check it out.
For more information about me and how Tola The Traveler was started click, "About Me" under the Menu section. View all posts by Tola

2 thoughts on “At a Crossroads”

Congratulations on your Masters Degree! How exciting!! I lived in Atlanta for 17 years. I love the city and miss it a lot, but my work took me to the Northern VA/DC Area 14 years ago. Enjoy your time in Costa Rica. It all goes so fast…

Thank you so much! I can’t wait to finally have my degree in my hands.

It’s cool how much we have in common. I’m excited to be moving back to Atl, but I’ll probably end up moving someplace new eventually. Atl will always have a special place in my heart, but there’s still so much more I want to see.